KAMAKHYA TEMPLE

HYPERLINK "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0U9Bp5P7Ed8AoX3yGyGieFzqj_hyZoS2clWh_Ofqf_5OVkO6cKX5YjKyBoT1GtOhfHftkSWO4uVz_xvx8dY35fJrKkm1wQpKstdI_jT0YYSrkfxaIhQ5U27hRxAy9jZmvPNmNi3jLPY/s1600/kamakhya+temple.jpg"Kamakhya is located on a hill - Neelachala Parvat or Kamagiri near the city of Guwahati in Assam. Shakti, residing on the Kamagiri hill is known as Kamakhya, the granter of desires. Assam traditionally has been known as the Kamarupa Desa and has been associated with Tantric practices and Shakti worship.This temple was destroyed in early 16th century, and then rebuilt in the 17th century by King Nara Narayana, of Cooch Bihar. Images of the builder and related inscriptions are seen in the temple. The Kamakhya Temple in Assam is one of the most venerated Shakti shrines in India, and is regarded as one of the Shakti Peethams associated with the legend of Shiva and Daksha Yagna. HYPERLINK "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0U9Bp5P7Ed8AoX3yGyGieFzqj_hyZoS2clWh_Ofqf_5OVkO6cKX5YjKyBoT1GtOhfHftkSWO4uVz_xvx8dY35fJrKkm1wQpKstdI_jT0YYSrkfxaIhQ5U27hRxAy9jZmvPNmNi3jLPY/s1600/kamakhya+temple.jpg"               The Kalika Purana, an ancient work in Sanskrit describes Kamakhya as the yielder of all desires, the young bride of Shiva, and the giver of salvation.Legend has it that following the destruction of Daksha's sacrifice and the Rudra Tandava of Shiva parts of Sati's body fell at several places throughout India, and these places are revered as Shakti peethas. The reproductive organ of Sati, (the Yoni) is said to have fallen here.                   Legend also has it that the supreme creative power of Bhrahma was challenged by Shakti, the mother Goddess, and that Bhrahma could thereafter create, only with the blessings of the Yoni, as the sole creative principle. After much penance, Bhrahma brought down a luminous body of light from space and placed it within the Yoni circle, which was created by the Goddess and placed at Kamarupa.The temple has a beehive like shikhara. Some of the sculptured panels seen here are of interest. There are images of Ganesha, Chamundeswari, dancing fitures etc.There is no image of Shakti here. Within a corner of a cave in the temple, there is a sculptored image of the Yoni of the Goddess, which is the object of reverence. A natural spring keeps the stone moist. Other temples on the Neelachala hill include those of Tara, Bhairavi, Bhuvaneswari and Ghantakarna.

                 Lord  Brahma  created  the  whole  world. After  the  creation  he  became  proud  and thought himself as the supreme creative force. Jaganmata Mahakali noticed this. She decided to teach a lesson to Brahma and created a demon named  Kesi. As soon as born, the demon  ran towards Brahma to swallow him up. Brahma feared. He went to Lord Vishnu  and  asked  him to save. The demon built a city named

Kesi pura & began  to harass the world.
             

                 Vishnu told Brahma to worship Mahakali. Brahma realized his mistake and prąyed Mahakali. The Goddess satisfied and  burned  the demon  in  to  ashes  by  Hum  kara.  She told  to Brahma that he should  create  a  hill  from  the  ashes of  Kesi, with full  of edible grass for cattle, and  his sin would be reduced in proportion to the grasses grazed by the cattle. She created Yoni circle out of her own creative force  and  told  to  Brahma  to  worship  it. But, Brahma couldn’t  see it because of his sin. He did a big Tapasya and brought down a luminous  light from the sky and placed it in the Yoni circle created by the Goddess.Then after, all the gods are worshiping Jaganmata(Kamakhya Mahakali).

SADHANA:

Three main festivals which are conducted in Kamakhya temple are-

1.Ambuvachi(Ambubasi/Ameti):
                The Goddess under goes menstrual period for three days starting from Sapthami, in the month of  Ashadha  ( Around  23^rd  to  25^th  of June ).  The  water  of  the  natural   spring  turns  red,  called  as Menstrual fluid. The Yoni shila will  be  covered with a cloth and the temple closed for those three days. It is believed to be inauspicious to till the ground or to plant seeds during this period. On  the fourth day  a great festival is conducted. The sindhur  and  the  parts of  the cloth, are considered as the blessings of  the Goddess and are used in Tantrik pujas.

2.Navaratri:
                This famous festival will be conducted in the month of Ashviyja.

3.Devadhvani(Debaddhani):
                This festival is conducted for Manasa devi, in the months of Jyeshtha, Ashadha, Sravana, and Bhadrapada and also during the times of pestilence and disease. The name of this festival came from the tremendous sound produced by the instruments, such as Drum, Dhole etc., used in it.

                  Kamakhya is worshiped by Vamachara sadhana.Sacrifice of animals such as buffalos, goats, Monkeys, Tortoises, Pigeons(all male and preferably black) is done to satisfy her. It is known that the daily offering to Kamakhya devi includes a Buffalo, goat, fish, Sugarcane, and a Kushmanda (white ground-melon). Even men are sacrificed before her in the olden days.Kalika purana and Yogini tantra will give a lot of description about Kamakhya.

               

 

MEENAKSHI TEMPLE

                 Meenakshi Temple which is also known as Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Tiru- Alavai is situated in the temple city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Parvati, also known as Meenakshi Amman and her consort Sundareswarar, also called Shiva. It is believed that Meenakshi Temple was founded by Lord Indra. When Indra found that the burden of his misdeeds was taken off by the Swayambu Lingam, he built a temple here and enshrined the Lingam. This temple is visited by almost 15000 visitors a day and on Fridays the number is increased to 25000. Meenakshi Temple was also a nominee among 30 "New Seven Wonders of the World".

                 Meenakshi temple is also the biggest temple complex in Tamil Nadu and is at the center of Madurai both geographically as well as spiritually. The Madurai Meenakshi Temple has four entrances and it is enclosed by high masonry walls. The city was designed in the shape of Lotus and somehow it has got square shape today and the temple is located in the center of it. The temple complex is spread over an area of 45 acres and the 12 Gopurams of the temple range from 45 m to 51 m in height. The tallest one is 51.9 meters. The Meenakshi Temple Shrine has gold Vimanam and it has an Emerald colored black stone image of Meenakshi temple. The Sundareswarar shrine is at the center of the complex and spread over one fourth of the area of the temple. Porthamarai Kulam is the sacred temple tank and the temple has many interesting and amazingly beautiful halls as well. Every year in the month of April "Meenakshi Thirukalyanam" festival is celebrated with much ado. This is the festival of divine marriage of Meenakshi Amman and Lord Sundareswarar.

BAHUBALI(GOMATESWARA)

                 Bhagavan Bahubali (Vahuvali or Bhujavali) also known as Gommatesvara was the younger son of the first Tirthankar, Rishabhdeva. He was the king of Podanpur. On his renunciation of the material world, the King gave his elder son, Bharatha, Ayodhya to rule and to Bahubali, he gave Poudanapura. Soon, armed with a ‘Chakra’, Bharata set out to conquer different kingdoms and obtain the status of a ‘Chakravarthi’. After achieving total sovereignty, he returned to Ayodhya but the ‘Chakra’ could not enter the city, indicating that there was still a kingdom to be won, Bahubali’s Poudanapura. Bahubali refused to accept the supremacy of Bharatha.
                Bharat tried to attack Bahubali's kingdom. Their ministers negotiated and agreed that instead of war, there would be three contests between the brothers. In all three contests (Drisht Yudha, Jal Yudha, and Wrestling) Bahubaliji defeated his elder brother. Bhagavan Bahubali had been very much hurt by the behavior of his elder brother. He decided to surrender his kingdom to Bharat and left for the path of meditation. He did not want to bow before his other brothers who had already accepted ascetic life. This ego of Bahubali deterred him from visiting his father's court. Hence he went on meditating but could not attain the Keval Jnana, the supreme knowledge.

                 Bhagavan Bahubali was so much involved in his Samadhi, that his body got covered by vines, ants, and dust. Finally he was woken up from his ego when his sisters called him to release the false pride he was suffering from. Bhagavan Bahubali got enlightened and decided to see his father. His sisters Brahmi and Sundari, Bahubali was now a changed person with more knowledge and better understanding. He was welcomed in his father's court. The world got the benefit of his wisdom.
                

                 Bhagavan Bahubali is a symbol of learning. At Sravana Belgola on Vindhyagiri , Chamunda Raya erected a colossal image of Vahubali, more commonly known as Gommat Svami or Gommatesvara. This colossal monolithic nude Jain statue is among the wonders of the world. This one stone statue of Bhagavan Bahubali in Karnataka stands fifty-seven feet in height, with a width of 13 feet across the hips. For thousands of years it has shown to the world the way of knowledge and austerity.